Misappropriation
by MrsB108
Summary: When a manual of rules and regulations gets sent out in Atlantis, it sparks a rebellion that could have disastrous consequences.
1. Chapter 1

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**Chapter 1**

Colonel Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla and Rodney were having lunch together in the mess hall as they usually did every afternoon. John sat back with his arms crossed over his chest and his feet occupying the one remaining empty seat at the table. "So what do you guys think this meeting is about anyways? Colonel Carter made it sound important." Rodney groaned and looked down at his watch. "Ugh, I had forgotten all about the stupid thing. I hope she realizes I have genuinely important things to do with my time, unlike some of the other crew, who will remain nameless," he said pointedly as he looked at Ronon.

Ronon smiled broadly and said," What? I have important stuff to do too, McKay." Rodney made a face. "Oh yeah, like what, grooming all that ridiculous hair of yours?

Ronon's smile widened. "No, like training Dr. Keller defense tactics in the training room this afternoon." Colonel Sheppard and Teyla immediately made an impressed face at him, with John even saying aloud, "Oohh."

Rodney sniffed the air and stuck out his chin the way he often did when he was put in his place and said, "Never mind then. Let's go before we're late."

They all rose and pushed in their chairs as they followed Rodney who hurriedly shuffled towards the conference room to meet Colonel Carter and the few other department heads and personnel who had been invited to the meeting.

Everyone mulled around for a few minutes talking in groups before Colonel Carter had joined them and cleared her throat loudly, causing everyone to take their seats and quiet down.

"Thank you," she said as she stood, smiling at them all. "I'll be as brief as possible; I know you all have things to do." Rodney gave a knowing look to the others. Colonel Carter continued. "I've asked you all here to hand out the new manuals for conduct and appropriations that is being enforced by Stargate directive. They've decided to standardize regulations here in Atlantis and although I'm sure some of you will disagree with their methods, these are the rules and they will be followed to the T with no exceptions or special circumstances." She had started to pass out the thick manuals as she spoke and everyone took them and passed them along the table, keeping one for themselves.

"Now, I will give you all time to read through them before handing them out to your departments and team members. Learn these rules people. They are in place for the safety and protection of Atlantis, for Earth, and everything that we hold dear. Dismissed."

Everyone stood, their copy of the manual grasped in their hands and slowly began treading out of the conference room.

Ronon headed off towards the training room stealthily tossing his copy of the manual into a nearby trash bin, Rodney headed towards the science labs while stuffing his copy under his vest, Teyla headed towards the east wing to find a bench in the afternoon sun to read her copy, and Colonel Sheppard headed to his quarters to read his, stopping only to pick up a large coffee in the cafeteria.

John sat on his bed, the sounds of Johnny Cash singing softly in his ears, with his coffee in one hand and the manual in the other hand, already halfway read.

Taking a large sip of coffee, he was about to swallow when he read a line in the manual that caused him to choke and sit up, spitting his coffee all over the crisp white pages. His eyes quickly re-read the words and his thoughts whirled angrily as the droplets of coffee slid lazily down the page.


	2. Chapter 2

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**Chapter 2**

"What the hell is this?" John asked angrily as he slapped the manual down on Colonel Carter's desk, causing her to slightly jump. She looked up at him, a tired, annoyed look smeared upon her usually smiling face. "Which part, Colonel? I've had nothing but complaints since I handed them out, so excuse me if you'll have to be a bit more specific."

John grabbed the manual back into his hands and flipped to the coffee stained page that had caused his appearance in her office at this late hour. He cleared his throat and began to read aloud.

_"Section V, appendix 8, of the chapter entitled 'Intergalactic Relationship Guidelines'. And to no exception, may any staff member of the Atlantis expedition or any derivatives thereof, engage in any manner, a romantic and/or sexual relationship with any being or persons not birthed of the planet Earth. The consequences of an unapproved relationship of anything further than a mild kinship and/or business arrangement will result in immediate dismissal of stationed post and a hearing for misappropriations by an appointed committee will commence." _

"Shall I go on?" he asked with a look of disgust on his face. Colonel Carter sighed and stood, walking slowly over to Colonel Sheppard and leaning back onto her desk. "Colonel, I agree, these rules are a bit…….overprotective, but they are in place for a reason. We don't know the consequences of having relations with all of the species in the Pegasus Galaxy. Other species that have different anatomies and physiologies, other species whose mating rituals differ from our own. The scientist in me agrees with this rule, we don't know how it could affect the safety of Atlantis. The bottom line is, anyone engaging in such behavior will be in violation of the guidelines and therefore dismissed from duty."

She stopped speaking and looked strangely at Colonel Sheppard for a moment, taking in his demeanor. "What's this about, Colonel? All the other complaints I've had so far had nothing to do with the relationship section of the manual."

John turned quickly to leave before she could examine his behavior any further. He was furious and did not want to discuss the matter any longer. He mumbled an excuse and hastily fled the office, heading in an unknown direction.

He soon found himself standing outside the training room doors. He expected to find Ronon and Dr. Keller still inside when he peered in, but instead found Teyla and one of the many female marines of the expedition.

He stood in shadow and watched as they trained, Teyla's expert skills showing with each and every move she made. His heart beat fast and his mind spun with thoughts as he continued to watch unseen.

Although he was unsure if he would have ever acted on his hidden feelings for her, this new regulation enraged him with renewed passion for his buried desire. If she had ever felt unattainable to him before, this was much, _much_ worse and he watched her with an intense longing that filled him with ideas he dare not speak aloud.


	3. Chapter 3

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**Chapter 3**

Weeks had passed since the manuals had been distributed and the rules were actively in place throughout Atlantis. Until now, only two cadets had been slightly reprimanded for violation of codes nestled in the chapters labeled "Proper Military Behavior" and "Untested Lantean Equipment". Other than those small occurrences, nothing seemed to have changed at all; nothing visible to the naked eye at least.

John and Ronon sat in the mess hall eating breakfast early one morning. Ronon was stuffing a barrage of donuts down his throat, seemingly without the need to breathe, while John sat still blurry eyed from waking, drinking a large mug of coffee and staring deeply into space.

"What's wrong?" Ronon asked as crumbs came flying from his mouth. John stared at the sprinkling of food now lying on the table and made a face before taking another big swig of his drink. He had been thinking of Teyla as he stared into nothingness. He had been thinking how ever since the manual had been passed out, he had found himself spending all his free time with her, as well as the time they spent together on missions. Every chance available to him, he had been boldly flirtatious with her, with quick glances and slight touches, just enough to barely cross over the line of friendly behavior into something else.

And he got the impression that she was enjoying it, which sent a thrill soaring through him filling him with excitement, anxiety, and fear. Was he only acting on his feelings to rebel against authority? He knew his feelings were real, but was the cause of his actions simply for defiance? If this was true, would it even matter? If this pushed him where he had always wanted to go and she felt the same way, did it really make a difference why?

"Nothings wrong, Ronon. I was just thinking, what do you think of the new relationship guidelines in the manual? Oh wait, I forgot. You generously gave yours to the garbage can." John made a face.

Ronon swallowed the last of his donuts and looked seriously at John. "I heard people talking about it though," he said as his eyes strayed from John's worried face to something behind him.

Ronon said nothing else and John followed his steady gaze, turning to look over his shoulder. Dr. Keller was standing by the mess hall entrance talking to a marine with a firm looking cast covering his left arm. John gave a little smirk before turning back to his friend who was now beginning to rise from his seat, his gaze still set steadily upon the doctor. "A piece of paper isn't going to tell me how to live my life," he said solemnly as he strode away confidently, leaving a trail of crumbs still dusting the table.

John watched him approach her and speak momentarily, before the two of them walked down the hall together with wide smiles etched upon their faces.

John felt more awake now than he felt in weeks. Just watching his friend and hearing his words filled him with a confidence that easily brushed his reservations aside. He was meeting Teyla in the training room in a few hours and he knew something was going to happen. Everything had been leading up to this day. He only hoped she would want it to as much as he did, as much as he always had.

He was completely unaware of the consequences they would all soon face.


	4. Chapter 4

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**Chapter 4**

John was already breathless and sweaty, his black t-shirt stuck to his back in several places and his muscles feeling the strain of constant repetitive movements. He and Teyla had only been sparring for ten minutes and he had already been knocked back onto the floor twice and a large purplish bruise was forming on his right shoulder from a stealthy shot of her well placed bantos stick.

He didn't notice the throbbing bruise or his heaving breaths, only the glisten of sweat twinkling in the windowed sunlight against her skin as her eyes bore down hard on him and a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, begging him to come at her for more.

"You think I'm defeated already?" he asked her with his own smile creeping slowly across his face. She twirled her stick expertly and responded with a serious face, "You were defeated before you entered the room, Colonel." He made a sarcastic face at her as if her words had stung him and twirled the sticks twice in his hands before lunging at her with a strong jab to her ribs. She spun and he struck only air as she came back round to face him, now circling him to his left side, tiny wisps of her hair sticking to the edges of her damp face and neck.

"You know what your weakness is Teyla?" he asked, his throat slightly dry from his heaving breaths. "Your overconfidence……" And again he lunged, this time just barely grazing her right forearm as she twisted away. As she returned to stance, he quickly lunged again, this time throwing his entire body at her, taking her by surprise as his weight overcame her and knocked the sticks from her hands as he pinned her against the wall behind them.

He violently threw his own sticks away which clattered loudly to the floor and grabbed her by her wrists holding them pressed against the wall high above her head. Their breaths were gasping as he held her there, their faces only inches from each other when he breathlessly asked, "Do you yield?"

Her eyes were searching his face as she replied ferociously, "Never."

His eyes penetrated hers and trailed down to her lips as he knew what he was about to do and his body surged in anticipation. He held her there, pinned with strong hands, as he pressed his body against hers and hungrily pressed his lips to her open mouth, his heart praying for her to show him she burned for him the same.

_Manual be damned. _


	5. Chapter 5

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**Chapter 5**

Teyla practically melted in his kiss and her mouth surged for him hungrily, her arms still pinned high above her. When he felt her fiery response, his body rushed with excitement and desire and his kiss deepened until they became completely entangled as one and fell passionately to the floor.

Overcome by pleasure and surprise, they were fierce and frenzied, hands searching and discovering, mouths wandering and tasting. They both felt surreal and dazed, as if they were immersed in a dream that would surely end if their bodies broke apart. Suddenly, a loud clatter echoed from out in the hall causing them to stop abruptly, both of them lifting their heads towards the door, petrified, their breaths heavy and short.

Silence.

Quickly, they stood releasing each other, each of them straightening their clothes and hair, unaware of their increasingly reddening faces. Fortunately, no one entered the training room and the both breathed deep sighs of relief. They looked at each other warily, both unsure of what to say.

"Err……so does this mean I won the match?" John said trying to think of what to say as a boyish grin crept onto his face. Teyla couldn't help but return the smile though it quickly faded as her mind began to whirl with anxious thoughts and emotions. "Colonel, I have read the manual from Stargate Command and I do not know if—,"

He cut her off, his face serious and his eyes locked on hers as he said, "I don't care what that thing says, Teyla. This is what I want. This is what I've always wanted…….." His voice trailed slightly and softened as he looked away from her. "But if you think it's too risky or its not what you want…… if I overstepped my bounds, you just tell me and everything can go back to the way it was before." Even as he spoke this lie, he desperately prayed for her answer to be swift, no matter which answer it was.

She took the few steps towards him until her face was just under his and their chests only inches apart. He nervously looked towards the door and then back towards her, with desire and doubt shining through his fearful eyes. She looked up at him and saw his quiet desperation as he waited for her reply. "When night is upon us and Atlantis is quiet, come to me and I will be waiting for you, just as I have always waited for you…." His eyes widened in amazement as she turned hastily and walked from the training room, grabbing her fallen bantos sticks as she swept by them without looking back.

He stared at her retreating figure and his heart thudded loudly in his chest. The doubt in his eyes had faded and was now replaced by a burning desire, one that he had kept at bay for so long, one that would consume him like a savage fire and turn everything in his life upside down


	6. Chapter 6

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**Chapter 6**

John awoke suddenly, his eyes snapping wide and taking a sharp breath. He squinted hard into the darkness, searching, remembering. '_Where is she_?' he thought as he felt the warm bed with a wandering hand. Pulling the clean, white sheet back to reveal his bare body, he quickly rose and groped for a light he believed was somewhere to his right.

"Teyla?" he called softly into the dark, stumbling over something that felt like a shoe. He was beginning to get worried when she did not answer. From her window, he could see the first pink splinters of dawn slowly peeking from over the horizon and he gratefully located the desk lamp to his right, pulling its chain and quickly scanning the room.

If he were not in her quarters at this very moment, he might not have believed last night had actually transpired at all. It had been the most blurry, passionate, tender, important night of his life. Since he did not feel he could express to her what she meant to him verbally, he had channeled everything he could into his actions, hoping she would understand him, with each gentle stroke of hand, each burning kiss, each meaningful look of disbelief and awe that this was actually happening.

He quickly located some clothes and dressed, checking the time on his watch. One hour until they would meet for morning mission reports, the same as every other day. He ran from the room letting the door slide shut behind him as he carefully examined the hallway and began making his way towards the mess hall.

The halls were mostly empty and John was glad for it as he dashed from one to the other in search of where she could be. Finally, he spotted her not far from where he was heading, speaking to one of the science technicians John recognized from Rodney's team. He darted behind a shadowed corner and watched her with anxious eyes, waiting for her to approach. After a few moments, she finally finished speaking and began making her way towards him, greeting others she passed with a friendly good morning. When she was near him and practically isolated, John stealthily emerged from the dark corner and threw a hard hand over her mouth, pulling her into the shadow with him as she squealed into his smothering palm in surprise.

He threw her against the wall and removed his hand, quickly placing his mouth on hers devouring her in a heated frenzy. She grabbed his head and pulled him tighter as they hid in the shadow, trying to remain as silent as possible, just off the hall where people passed by oblivious.

He felt reckless and free, something he didn't often experience and it felt good. It felt liberating. It felt exhilarating being with her, loving her, and he couldn't imagine how he had lived before as just her friend.

They pulled apart from their passionate embrace and she said breathlessly to him, "Is this how we will say good morning now?"

He smiled and pressed himself hard against her, panting quietly. "You bet your ass it is."

After making sure the halls were once again empty, they carefully stepped out one by one and walked together towards the briefing room, a constant smile etched on both their faces. They were nearing the end of the living quarters when they heard a loud voice booming through the air not far away.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!!" Ronon's voice came like an angry roar of thunder. John and Teyla had hurriedly rounded the corner coming to a skidded stop just outside one of the living spaces, the one that belonged to Jennifer Keller. Two guards were standing tersely in front of Ronon who was dressed only in shorts and had obviously just woken, looking angrier than either had ever seen him.

His glowing eyes were fixed upon Major Ray who was quietly leading the pretty doctor away from the scene, a guiding hand behind her back. She turned back towards him, a worried look across her paling face as she whimpered, _"Ronon?"_


	7. Chapter 7

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**Chapter 7**

****

"Ronon, don't go doing anything stupid now…." John said cautiously as he stepped towards the infuriated Satedan whose hateful eyes were now boring holes in the two men who stood before him.

Ignoring John's presence completely, Ronon bent down and stuck his face into the frightened face of one of the guards and spoke in a rough voice, _"Move……or I will move you."_ The two guards looked at each other nervously and then back at Ronon, with one of them replying in a high voice, "We're just following orders Ronon!"

Ronon, standing there barefoot and wearing only his shorts, waited a long moment and when neither of the men moved, he reached down with both large hands and easily picked up the guard who had spoken, raising him in the air high above his head. The other guard looked up in shock, his stunner falling to his side and his mouth open wide, as he watched his friend dangling helpless as John ran forward yelling Ronon's name.

Ronon let out a might roar and threw the man across the hall, all eyes watching him slam against the wall and then crumple onto the floor. The guard remaining on his feet stared in horror at his fellow guard's motionless body and as Ronon began to walk hurriedly in the direction that Jennifer had been taken; he shakily raised his stunner towards him.

"Stop!" he cried.

And stop Ronon did, turning on the spot with a look of disgust plastered upon his face as he saw the pointed stunner. Teyla ran to the unconscious guard and began calling for a medical team on her earpiece while John carefully approached the guard aiming at Ronon, imploring him to lower his weapon.

"All right, let's all try to relax here," he said to the guard as he gave Ronon an annoyed look of disbelief. "I'll take care of Ronon, just lower your weapon corporal."

The guard looked quickly at Colonel Sheppard and back towards Ronon who had now began to walk back towards them with a menacing look on his face. The guard held his gun aimed at Ronon's chest and answered uneasily, "Didn't you see what he just did to Lawson? I'm taking him to the brig, sir!"

Ronon continued his hastened walk of intimidation until the open end of the stunner was pressed hard into his chest as he stared down at the guard and snarled, "What kind of a coward are you that you would follow orders to tear a woman from her bed when she has done nothing wrong?"

The guard did not answer but simply gaped as Ronon furthered in towards him, the barrel of the stunner digging deeper and deeper into his skin.

"Stop it! Both of you!!!" John yelled placing on hand on Ronon's shoulder and the other on the guards quivering stunner. "Peterson, go with Lawson to the infirmary, I'll take care of this." When Peterson did not move John shouted, "Peterson, that's an order!"

And with a begrudging look upon his face, the young guard finally lowered his weapon and turned, hurriedly joining Teyla who was knelt down beside his fellow guard.

John turned to Ronon who was turning to exit the hallway and grabbed his arm forcefully spinning him around to face him. "What the hell is wrong with you Ronon?! You could have killed that guy!"

Ronon came close to Sheppard leaning in, his voice lowered, the whirl of rage still shining through his eyes. "What would YOU have done Sheppard? What would you have done if they had taken _Teyla_ from you like that?" John felt a sting in his chest and he knew if it had happened to Teyla he would have done the same, if not _worse_, but what was he to do now?

"You're right...okay? I know you're right…." John barely whispered as he looked over his shoulder at Teyla. "But what the hell am I supposed to do here Ronon? You just tossed an officer across an entire hallway! You're gonna have to be confined to your quarters until I can sort this out with Carter." Ronon began to interrupt when John stopped him.

"Its better than the brig, isn't it? I'll go talk to Carter and see what's gonna happen to Dr. Keller, you just stay put until I come for you. Don't worry big guy, we'll sort this thing out," he said reassuringly as he patted Ronon's arm.

As he walked away towards Teyla and the others, his heart felt heavy as he could think of no way any of this was going to end well. And as he saw the worried look on Teyla's face as he approached, he felt a pit forming in his stomach at the thought of anyone trying to take her from him.

****

****


	8. Chapter 8

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**Chapter 8**

The chimes on Teyla's door rang and she quickly finished smoothing her silky purple bed linens and walked to the door to answer it, her long skirt flowing gracefully behind her. John stood there with one arm leaning against the door frame, an exhausted look painted on his face. They stared at each other for a long moment and she felt his dark mood slightly lift as they let unspoken words pass between them.

She stood back and watched as he quickly scanned either hall to his left and right before walking in and sitting down on the edge of her freshly made bed, putting his head into his hands.

"Did it not go well with Colonel Carter?" Teyla asked as she let the door slide shut and gingerly approached him, placing a smooth hand on his shoulder. He did not remove his head from his hands but leaned into her body and she wrapped her other hand around him, holding him close and for a moment, they were silent.

Finally he moved, lifting his head and standing, walking over to the curtained window and peering out, holding the smooth material between his fingers. "Well, it could have been worse. Ronon's lucky,_ very_ lucky that Samantha apparently has a soft spot for him. Lawson's still in the infirmary with a concussion and she's only suspended Ronon from missions for a couple of weeks. _But_..." he stopped and turned from the window, gazing at Teyla as she sat down carefully on the edge of the bed waiting for him to continue. "But Dr. Keller...well she didn't know what she was gonna do with her yet. I feel bad, ya know, for the position she's in having to make these decisions." He stopped talking and walked over to Teyla, sitting next to her as the bed creaked slightly with his weight.

He kept speaking, looking at the floor. "God, if she sends Jennifer away, I don't think I can keep Ronon under control._ I don't even know if I should_." The stress was heavy and his mind raced with thoughts and anxieties that everything he knew on Atlantis would soon be altered and broken.

Teyla stood slightly and easily slid a skirted leg across him until she was straddling him, staring down into his worried face. His expression changed instantaneously when she sat on him as he looked up at her, with a beautiful desperation and desire glazing over his eyes. They did not speak and John began to let his hands wander, staring at her beautiful face in amazement as she began to move her body slightly. He felt the burdens begin to wash away and a deep craving fell over him like a thick, wet blanket.

When darkness fell and they lay together, covered by only the soft purple sheet, Teyla lay awake while John's rhythmic breaths let her know he was asleep with his strong arm still wrapped around her. Teyla's mind was blurred as thoughts raced through and she felt her heart heave at the clarity of one particular notion that kept circling around and stabbing right through her. Her eyes were furious and she silently choked back a sob as she thought of what was right and what must be done.


	9. Chapter 9

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**Chapter 9**

****

For the next few days John felt conflicted. He was so angry over this manual and what was happening to Ronon and Dr. Keller whose fate, still days later, had not been decided as she remained temporarily relieved of duty and the two of them were forced apart.

And yet the moonlit nights that accompanied the days were the most compelling, the most perfect, the most petrifying nights of John's life and he could not believe this was all really happening, how he was changing so quickly, how dead he must have been inside before he had been with her, before he had opened himself to her, before he had allowed himself to fall so madly in love with her.

He walked down the hallway this late night his mind replaying all the secret little things they had done to each other in the dark shadows of her room, night after night, their heated whispers drawing moans of pleasure as the soft cool breeze floated to them, waving the long curtain through the open window.

His ecstasy was unreal and yet he dare not question it for fear it would disappear like a wisping smoke. Heading towards Teyla's quarters, just as the hallways were clearing and the last of Atlantis was heading to bed, he stopped by Ronon's door as he did most days lately, just to check on him and see how he was.

Ronon answered his door barely dressed with a dark scowl embedded on his face. "I don't need you to look after me Sheppard," he grunted. John half smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder as he entered the room. "Sure ya do. Plus, you just can't get enough of my company…." His voice trailed as his eyes scanned around him. Ronon's quarters looked as if a malevolent storm had struck leaving everything shattered, broken, or mangled in its wake. Ripped clothes, torn furniture, an overturned mattress, even broken mirror shards glistened at John as they lie scattered on the floor. "Um, what the hell happened here buddy? Lose the remote or something?"

Ronon snorted and found a chair hidden beneath a sheet and a large hand carved axe that he tossed carelessly to the floor as he sat down. "I can't sit here and do nothing while she's out there waiting to find out if she has to go back to Earth. I'd tear my heart out of my chest if it would ease her suffering." John looked painfully at his friend, his eyes reflecting his sympathy. "She'll probably find out tomorrow Ronon, and hopefully she can stay and all this mess will be over with."

Ronon stood quickly, violently knocking over the chair from which he had just risen. "It will never be over with!!" John stood back, surprised. He watched Ronon march over to the door and brush his hand over the way, causing the door to open before him. He turned back to John, a grief-stricken look in his eye. "Even if she does not have to leave, I can never be with her again, not without living in fear. Now……….please Sheppard, just go."

John knew there was nothing he could do to ease his friends suffering and nodded slightly as he walked past Ronon and towards Teyla's quarters.


	10. Chapter 10

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**Chapter 10**

Checking the halls before he entered Teyla's quarters was slowly becoming second nature to John and he quickly turned his head in both directions before hastily slipping past her opened door. "Hey," he said softly as he entered the room, finding her sitting quietly across the way. She sat curled in a chair facing the long stretch of window, the moonlight casting a mysterious glow across her face, her hands in her lap clasped tightly together. She did not turn when he entered and did not reply when he spoke.

He took no notice and continued speaking as he walked over to the same window and gazed out into the shadowy waters, watching the waves smoothly crash over the edges of Atlantis. "I just came from seeing Ronon. He's….he's not doing too well. I'm starting to worry he's gonna do something really bad." Still, she said nothing.

He turned his head and looked down at her in the chair. She was motionless and staring hard past the window into the night. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, starting to grow concerned at her silence.

He crouched down beside the chair and placed a warm hand on her arm, she closed her eyes briefly but did not look at him when she spoke. "We cannot do this anymore, John."

He gently rubbed the skin of her arm with his thumb and looked at her uncertain. "Can't do what?"

"We cannot be together any longer."

John stopped rubbing her skin and stared at her expressionless face for a moment before he stood and moved until he was directly in front of her. "You don't mean that."

She continued staring straight not meeting his eyes as his body blocked her view and still said nothing. "Look at me!" he yelled angrily and she did. Her eyes strained hard to reach his, a strange look of pain and desperation darkening her normally bright brown eyes.

"I know you're only saying this to protect me, because you think we'll get caught and I'll be sent away, but I'm fine! Nothing is gonna happen to me Teyla, I promise. You have to trust me on this. Can't you do that?" he asked her imploringly, his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

She stared at him. "I am sorry, John." The look on her face was resolved but her voice faltered slightly and her lower lip trembled, giving John hope that she didn't fully mean what she was saying.

"Stop saying that! I told you, nothing is going to happen!"

"You cannot know that," her voice was scarcely louder than a whisper as she turned her head away from him and rose from her chair, walking hurriedly away towards the center of the room.

He moved after her quickly, grabbing her by both shoulders and turning her around, leaning down into her face, his mouth barely an inch from hers and his voice low and smoky. "I would never let anything come between us…..not now…..not ever again……….Teyla, we belong together……can't you see that?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked at him; despair flooding his face as he tried to convince her. Everything burning inside her told her to stop, to quiet her worries and let him lay her down and succumb to the burn of his touch against her flesh, but she knew she had to be strong, strong for him, strong for he who meant everything to her.

"I am sorry," she gasped into his face.

His heart felt deflated, his ears disbelieving, his fierce eyes piercing hers in a last futile attempt to change her mind.

"I won't leave. I won't leave unless you look me in the eye right now and tell me you don't love me," he said grasping for any semblance of the woman who had changed his entire world.

His grip was tightening on her shoulders and her face looked horrified as his words brutally stabbed through her. "_Please, John_……." she cried.

"No! If you're gonna tell me we can't be together then I want to hear you say it!"

She looked away, the salt of her own tears dripping into her gasping mouth and he grabbed her vehemently by her chin, forcing her back to look into his face which was completely filled with a heartbreaking torment that she couldn't bare to see.

"_I……don't…..love you,"_ she said her words breaking in her throat as an overwhelming longing for an immediate death flooded her.

John's face twisted strangely and a shattered, ugly feeling filled his very soul. He released her shoulders and for a long moment stared into her sobbing face in utter disbelief. Then he turned quickly and walked out of her door without even looking back.


	11. Chapter 11

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**Chapter 11**

****

The next few weeks were the worst of John's life. Never had he felt so displaced, so drained, so completely empty. Each night he spent alone in his bed tossing and turning, trying so desperately to sleep, so desperately to think of anything but her. Yet night after night there in his mind's eye she lay beside him, bare and beautiful, her eyes shining up at him, a small secret smile tugging at her mouth as she quietly whispered his name. And each time the heavenly vision was ruined when her mouth opened cruelly and she told him she did not love him.

John stared at the ceiling praying silently, begging for sleep. He needed all the strength he could gather to survive seeing her day after day, pretending nothing had happened between them, when in truth, a thick darkness was filling him with utter hopelessness and the black nothingness of despair.

The alarm clock sounded and John's weary hand groped for the switch that would silence it. Another night had come and gone without a moment's peace inside his mind, much more of this and he knew his sanity would soon start to splinter.

He rose and dressed, catching a brief glimpse of the scowling man in the mirror that he did not recognize as himself, staring hard at his heavy eyes and graying complexion. Sighing and grabbing his gear, he walked off towards the conference room for the morning meeting with the heaviness in his heart that was growing inside him like a deadly weed.

Ronon , Rodney and Samantha sat around the large round oak table in the well lit room. Rodney and Samantha were talking quietly when he entered. Looking up, Samantha spoke, "Good morning Colonel. Did you see Teyla on your way in?" John's stomach lurched at her name and he tried to smile politely. "No, sorry, didn't see her," he said taking a seat next to Ronon, who had been allowed back onto active duty just two days prior. Ronon's demeanor was that of the walking dead and John empathized fully. Between the two of them and Teyla's constant silence, Rodney had found himself having to fill more of a leadership role and was enjoying it to the fullest extent.

Teyla burst through the door; also an exhausted look plastered on her breathless face as she quickly took the seat beside Rodney. "I am sorry for my delay. I was unexpectedly detained." That was all she said and John stared hard at the wall, examining nothing in particular. Samantha nodded kindly at her and started the meeting. "All right, today I'm sending you off world to the planet M5G-397. I'll be honest, it has a great probability of Wraith infestation but…as Rodney can tell you, we have found some interesting yet cryptic facts in the Ancient database eluding to a great power source hidden somewhere on the planet's surface. I'm sending two teams of marines to back you up, just in case. But at the first sign of a Wraith attack, I want you all to immediately gate back. Understood?"

Everyone nodded except Ronon, who was just staring down at his large hands in his lap.

They stood and joined the gathering marines by the gate as Samantha called out instructions. John looked at the others, trying to glimpse over Teyla the quickest and said, "Everybody ready?" as the wormhole activated.


	12. Chapter 12

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**Chapter 12**

When the wormhole finally deactivated behind them, they found themselves standing in a wide-open field whose dead grass grew as tall as their waists and tickled at their elbows. The horizon seemed endless with its infinite lands of rotting brush and thick, damp clouds. Overhead the sky was a dark gray and there was a soft mist eerily lingering over the barren wastelands that choked slightly at the back of their throats.

Silence surrounded them. No songs of the birds, no wildlife about, just a strange quietness that rested uneasily on John Sheppard's ears. His eyes caught sight of an off centered tree line that seemed to birth a dark forest, whose black interior would normally have immediately given him cause for alarm. He should have known to be more careful, he should have avoided the unexplored tree line, but his thoughts were elsewhere, clouded by the suffering he had come to know so well.

He could not keep his eyes from wandering to the back of Teyla's head as she began to walk out into the open field with the other marines awaiting the Colonel's instructions. He stared hard for a long moment, knowing she could not see him watching her and his heart flooded with sharp pain as he allowed himself to look upon that which was now lost to him.

"All right people! Let's fan out! Lorne, take your men towards the east. Rousseau, take yours up the center, the rest of you with me." He waved his gun accordingly and the troops began to move in their intended direction, eyes trained, weapons at the ready. John remained slightly back, secretly craving more stolen glances at her shape, as she and Ronon led his section towards the west, heading dangerously near the darkened tree line.

The silence clung steady, with the only sounds being the rustling of the crisp, corroded grass stalks against their clothes and skin as the ventured deeper across the field into the open nothingness of this dead land.

_Zing. _

A small sound so whispered, so vague, that at first John thought he had imagined it. Then another came.

_Zing. _

It took him a few seconds to realize what the noise was and by the time he did, a third _Zing_ had already shot out from the dark tree line striking an officer so quickly and stealthily, that John barely caught sight of his body as it fell backwards, instantly hidden beneath the tall grass.

John's eyes widened as he started towards the others. "GET BACK! GET BACK TO THE GATE!!!!"

Everyone looked around, confused, and some started back without question, while others who remained began to fall one by one, their bodies instantly hidden by the grass, as the small bullets emitting from the west, struck them fast and hard, killing them instantly.

John felt his shouts were muted while he watched horrified as so many began to fall soundlessly out of sight. _Zing, zing, zing. _He heard the gate being reactivated and was relieved to turn and see clusters of marines running through to safety although those who seemed to try and reclaim the dead also started to fall while searching intently among the brush for their fallen friends.

A roaring voice seemed to pierce the gray skies and echo across the land. John turned to see Ronon not running _from_ the hail of bullets, but _towards _them, with his gun aimed and firing rapidly at the ominous trees. John felt a sickening feeling overwhelm him as he ran towards his friend and soon realized that Teyla had followed Ronon and was doing the same, in an attempt to give the others coverage to reach the gate.

John was closing in on them when another _Zing_ erupted and the bullet caught Ronon's cheek hard, throwing him backwards into the air and flipping his large body over before it struck the ground with a loud thump.


	13. Chapter 13

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**Chapter 13**

Teyla dropped to her knees and began hurriedly crawling towards where Ronon had fallen, listening to the slight swish of bullets overhead and the many moans and cries of injured marines as they lay scattered among the dead, masked by the high grass.

She knew John had been following them, also emptying his weapon into the dark forest as he rushed towards them. As she scuffled along on her elbows, her weapon dragging beside her in the arid dirt and her face cutting on the brittle stalks, she prayed John would head back to the safety of the gate, although she knew in her heart he would never leave them behind, even if it cost him his life.

She was slowly approaching the area where she thought Ronon had fallen, when a sickening feeling overwhelmed her. Stopping mid-crawl, she began to gag and vomit, staring down at her mess with a confused look in her eyes.

**"HEY!"**

A strong hand clamped over Teyla's elbow resting in the dirt. Teyla turned quickly wiping at her mouth and saw that John was lying on his belly beside her, also hidden beneath the tall, crunching stalks. She felt overjoyed seeing his dirty, slightly cut face and reached out for his cheek, touching it lightly as they stared hard into each other's eyes for a long, silent moment. "We must find Ronon, John. I believe he fell this way," she indicated for him to follow and they crawled together listening to the music of the endless whistling of terror above.

Teyla gasped when she finally happened upon the large Satedan. His face was completely covered in thick, red blood and his mouth was agape as he lay motionless on his side. She put her hand to his neck and felt a weak pulse as she stared horrified at the large open wound on his face. "John?" she turned around nervously. John saw her expression and nodded understandingly, gripping his weapon with renewed fervency.

He closed his eyes quickly before jumping up to a standing position and began firing clip after clip towards the tree line as a deep war cry erupted from his throat, giving Teyla the coverage she needed to stand and stoop low as she dragged Ronon's body behind her and headed for the gate.

And reach the gate they did, with only one bullet striking John's flak jacket and another striking his right forearm causing him to drop his weapon with a loud yell just before he grabbed Teyla with his other arm and the two of them dragged Ronon with them into the glowing wormhole.


	14. Chapter 14

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**Chapter 14**

"LET ME GO! LET GO!!" Colonel Sheppard screamed at Teyla as she gripped his arm tight. "No John! It is suicide!" she hollered back. John struggled against her grip, trying to pry her fingers from him but to no avail. "There are men back there, Teyla! We don't leave people behind!"

Teyla pulled him close to her face so he could see the resolve in her flashing eyes. "And we WILL return for them, but not _now,_ John. _Not now_." She looked down at the medical team who had just arrived at the gate and was heaving Ronon's body onto a stretcher and wheeling him away. She stopped one of the aides and said, "Please take Colonel Sheppard to the infirmary as well. He has been shot." She turned back to John's contorted face as he looked down at his own limply hanging arm that was steadily dripping blood into a messy pool on the floor. He had almost forgot the blinding pain of the bullet in his urgent defiance to go back for the dead.

He stared pleadingly at her and her eyes reflected his pain but there was no point in arguing and he knew it as he was ushered away by a fast talking medic, staring back over his shoulder at her as she tried to bravely smile.

Dr. Keller had been informed immediately of Ronon's condition and had geared up instantly asking for vital signs and a high morphine drip. Her face was solid, unflinching as she approached the stretcher and began swabbing away the mounds of blood covering his quieted face. Calling for instruments and giving instructions, her actions were precise and perfect. After two hours of intense labor, she finally managed to remove the deeply lodged bullet from his face. Her swiftness and surgical accuracy saved Ronon's faltering life that day; her strength and determination to save the man she loved left her no option to fail.

Once she had finished surgery and had insisted upon closing him herself, she slowly walked away removing her gown and gloves, collapsing onto a bench in the operating prep room and let her sobs overcome her as her cries echoed loudly down the vast halls of Atlantis.

Almost a month later Teyla and Ronon sat together in the mess hall. Ronon's face held a large, deep scar across his left cheek that would forever be a part of him now. He stuffed another bite of his lunch into his mouth and looked at Teyla's face as she stared down at her untouched food on the table.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded.

He sighed and put another bite of food into his mouth.

"Does he know about the child?"

She shook her head side to side.

"If it means anything Teyla, I know it's your call, but I don't think it's right."

She finally looked up at him, a dark shadow over her eyes. "It matters not Ronon. This is the only way I know how to protect him."

He nodded slowly after a few moments and took yet another bite and they suffered the rest of the meal in silence while Teyla's plate remained untouched.


	15. Chapter 15

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**Chapter 15**

Ronon and Teyla met in the hallway that evening at the place they had discussed and Teyla hesitantly met Ronon's grimacing expression. "Last chance to back out," Ronon said with a raised eyebrow. Teyla shook her head slowly and they began to walk together towards the science labs. Teyla said nothing and Ronon knew the pain she was in had to be even greater than his own due to her circumstance.

"Do you wish me to speak for you?" he asked gruffly. She looked at him gratefully as their paced slowed and said, "I would like that." He shook his head, staring at the ground. "I couldn't even bring myself to talk to Jennifer. It's probably better if I don't anyways. I'm not sure I could go through with it if I did."

They stood in front of Rodney's lab and could hear the muffled sounds behind the door of him and Colonel Sheppard arguing over something, the way they often did. Ronon passed his hand over the crystals and the door slid open to reveal their two friends standing slacked over a table examining some papers together. Both of them looked up when the door opened and John immediately tensed seeing Teyla standing there.

The past few weeks everything between them had gone right back the way it was before the mission and John felt a fool for it. She had watched him from beyond the windowpane in the infirmary as his wounded arm was tended to and they stared longingly through the glass at each other for most of the procedure. John briefly looked away when the medic spoke to him and when he turned back she was no longer there watching him.

That was all the contact they had had and although he did not wish to admit it, it had raised his hopes about her feelings for him. But now, any regained hopes had been washed away by the endless nothingness of the weeks that followed, the diverted glances and awkward silences had brought back the darkness of sleepless nights and haunting memories.

And now, here she stood before him.

"Oh, hey guys. Colonel Sheppard and I were just discussing how impressively moronic he is. Care to join in?" Rodney said sarcastically. John simply stared at them.

Ronon looked quickly at Teyla before he spoke. He cleared his throat. "We came here to talk about something else. Teyla and I are leaving Atlantis."


	16. Chapter 16

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**Chapter 16**

Rodney stood open mouthed while John's eyes lit like a fire, burning right through Teyla as she and Ronon stood there, obviously unhappy by the news they had brought with them. After a few moments, Rodney finally spoke one word that resounded loudly in John's head.

_"WHY?" _

John needn't hear the answer. Either way, he knew it would not be a truthful one and he didn't want to hear some made up excuse when his heart was shattering into a million pieces yet again. She was going to leave Atlantis, she was going to leave him, and he would never see her again. That was the truth that was clogging his throat.

Ronon looked at Teyla, unsure of what to say next when John cut him off. "It doesn't matter why Rodney. They wanna leave, they can leave. It's fine," he lied, walking over to them as Teyla looked at him with tears brimming uncontrollably in her eyes.

John placed a strong hand on Ronon's shoulder as Ronon looked at him apologetically. "Sheppard, I-" he started.

"No need buddy, I totally understand," John interrupted softly. "It won't be the same without you." He forced his head to turn and look at Teyla, who had allowed a single tear to slip past her lid and down her cheek. "Either of you," he said choking on his words as the clogging in his throat grew.

_"John….,"_ she said pleadingly.

_"Don't….,"_ he begged staring at her contorted face.

His chin trembled and he retracted his hand from Ronon and turned away walking past them towards the still open door. Turning back once, he looked at them hard before saying, "Take care of each other…..," before walking out.

Teyla started sobbing and turned to Ronon who held her to him, looking towards the now closed door.

"Would somebody please tell me what the HELL is going on?" Rodney said, an annoyed and confused look on his face.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ronon and Teyla stood by the gate side by side. Their bags were packed and their rooms were empty. Colonel Carter was back on Earth and had been apprised of the situation via video feed. Although she was not happy with their decision, she insisted if they must go the least they could do was allow Atlantis to find them a suitable home planet to settle on and they had. Planet M99-442 was a lush, green, populated planet with villages full of traders, farmers, and families.

Now the time had come to leave. They stood alone before the great gate as it activated, both dressed in their traveling clothes, a dark hood pulled over Teyla's head and Ronon in his long coat. Both of their faces were sunken and sallow and neither of them looked back as they began their journey into what they thought would be the next chapter of their lives.

Jennifer stood atop the stairs silent, watching, a shriveled tissue clasped in her shaking hand as John stood watching from the control room, a hardened face masking his pain as he watched the two people he had come to call family, walk out of his life forever.


	17. Chapter 17

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**Chapter 17**

John sighed heavily, a hard jagged feeling pressing deep against his chest as he stared at his two new team members in total disappointment. The two marines were well enough soldiers, well enough fighters, well enough people, but John found them exhaustingly boring.

In the weeks that had followed Ronon and Teyla's exit, the two replacements had never once questioned his orders, never raised their voices, they had only shown perfect compliance to his every command and it made him long for the others even more. He desperately missed their tenacity, their passion, and their friendship.

_And I miss her, God, do I miss her._

He hated himself for letting them go so easily. All the little things that had gone unnoticed, the way she would scowl at him when he would do something rash or the raised eyebrow when he spoke avidly of football, were becoming more and more pronounced in his mind and he wanted it back.

_I want it all back, every gesture, every look, every moment. _

John even found himself thankful for Rodney, who still was unclear of what had actually happened, but knew enough to not speak about it, at least not with him.

The four men exited the puddle jumper and while his two new members gathered the gear on the hangar deck, he and Rodney walked towards the control room to update Samantha on their mission.

"Are-are you okay?" Rodney asked hesitantly as they walked in sync down the long corridor.

John kept his eyes ahead but made a small grimace at Rodney's question. "I'm fine, Rodney," he replied although both men knew it was far from the truth.

They reached the control room where Colonel Carter, Dr. Keller, and Chuck were hovering around one of the monitors together, apparently watching something of interest.

"Did you guys find out how to get cable?" Rodney asked sarcastically. The three of them turned around towards them.

John saw Jennifer's expression and stared curiously at her as Colonel Carter began to speak. "Colonel Sheppard, we've just received a communication from SGC. They've finally held a committee for the Relationship Guidelines and reached a decision. They've given Ronon special consideration for his time and service here in Atlantis and will not hold the rule against him and Dr. Keller."

John tried to comprehend Samantha's words as Jennifer walked up to him, a huge smile across her face. "They're giving the same consideration for Teyla too, John," she said softly to him as she put a light hand on his arm. Rodney's face suddenly lit up, as if finally understanding something.

John looked at Jennifer disbelievingly, almost as if he did not want to raise his hopes if he was misunderstanding her.

She squeezed his arm and said, _"Now go bring them home."_

John's heart leapt in his chest and he almost choked on the pure excitement coursing through his body. He looked towards Chuck who was smiling and already dialing the gate to the address where Teyla and Ronon were. John turned and flew down the grand staircase as fast as he could towards the activating wormhole.

Never in his life had he been so excited about getting through the Stargate and as fast as it carried him, in his heart it still wasn't fast enough. Just the thought of holding her in his arms and seeing Ronon again made his pulse pound hard against his flesh.

When he landed on solid ground and the gate quieted behind him, he stood quite still staring out with a look of total horror on his face. He could see three separate villages from atop the hill where the Stargate was, and all three were completely destroyed with smoke still billowing in tall, thick tendrils towards the gray sky from the utter desecration.


	18. Chapter 18

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**Chapter 18**

John's legs carried him swiftly down the sloping hill towards the remains of the village that his friends had inhabited. His heart was thudding so loudly in his chest he could barely hear his own voice as he switched on his earpiece and began shouting for a medical team and back up.

Stumbling towards the end, he stood quickly amongst the blackened debris, staring wildly at the heaps of destruction looking for a sign, any sign, of his friends. The silence was sickening and only the occasional crack from a still burning fire filled the air.

_This must have just happened. _

He began running through the dirt streets crying out desperately, his voice echoing strangely as his neck craned in every direction.

**_"TEYLA?!"_ **

**_"RONON?!" _**

Suddenly, John could make out a soft groaning from somewhere to his left. Rushing quickly towards the sound with his heart in his throat, he began tossing aside large pieces of burnt wood and warping metal that singed at his flesh relentlessly until he uncovered an old woman who had been buried deep underneath. Her face was badly burnt on one side disfiguring her and her tiny legs had been pinned down beneath her by a large part of a roof.

John lifted her out gently but firmly as she wrapped her frail arms around his sweaty neck and moaned quietly in pain when he placed her back down safely onto the warm dirt of the street. She barely cracked open a swollen eye and stared at his face covered in black soot as he held her still with red, badly blistering palms from handling the debris.

"Are you okay, miss?" he asked breathlessly, although his eyes were still scanning the village around her.

Knowing her time was limited she spoke only what was necessary. "They came for the Atlantians. They-they took them away." She began coughing violently, her smoke filled lungs slowly expanding their final moments.

John's eyes fixed and bore down hard on the old woman's face as he gripped her tightly while she shook. "Who took them?"

The old woman, with her one functioning eye, looked out towards the fading pink skyline behind the Colonel's head for what would be the last sight her eyes would ever take in and she tried to smile.

"The……the Damned," and then she gave a little sigh and John felt her body relax under his grip as her life faded away.

John's eyes were disbelieving while he laid her motionless body back onto the dirt and removed his jacket, placing it over her wrinkled calm face and stood once again looking out at the smoking remains.

_Who were the Damned? Where had they taken Teyla and Ronon? Where the** hell **is my back up and medical team?_

These were the thoughts roving John's mind as he screamed into his radio, "AND SOMEBODY GET MCKAY DOWN HERE…….NOW!"


	19. Chapter 19

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**Chapter 19**

With a last look at the peaceful old woman half covered under his jacket lying in the dirt road, he took off back up the hill towards the activating Stargate and saw a very frazzled looking Rodney and company stepping through.

"Rodney!" he panted as he climbed the hill holding a stitch in his side with his hand. "I need the last gate address dialed from this planet…..NOW!"

"Colonel, what's—"

"NOW!" John hollered finally catching up to him and bending over from exhaustion, his hands placed onto his knees.

He saw Rodney's eyes widen as he caught the vision of the backdrop behind him, the smoking heaps, the torn down houses, the vague glimpse of a motionless body lying in the street.

Rodney swallowed deeply and then turned towards the DHD and quickly began the long process.

The medical team and back-up had also come through with Rodney and although the medics had immediately dispersed amongst the three villages, the marines stood positioned at the Colonel's side awaiting instructions.

"What happened here, sir?" asked a dark haired marine as John regained his breath and stood, his hands trembling.

John ignored him and walked over to Rodney who was hastily moving bits and parts of the internal workings on the control panel and typing furiously at his mobile computer.

"Rodney?"

"Hmm….?"

"Have you ever heard of…._the Damned?_"

"What? No! Colonel, if you want me to do this fast, I need—"

"They took them, Rodney. They took Ronon and…and…" John's voice caught slightly.

Rodney looked up at him, momentarily stopping his work, a look of terror and concern flooding his eyes as the two men stared at each other. And then with renewed fervor Rodney looked back towards the controls and his hands flashed like lightning across the keypad, never stopping even once, until his task was complete.

"DONE!" he yelled finally.

John had been ready. He had been standing by the gate with the ten marines in tow and his weapon was locked and loaded, set to kill. He nodded to Rodney and the gate was activated and John quickly prayed that Teyla and Ronon were still alive before he bravely stepped through into the vast unknown.

When John felt his feet hit solid ground he opened his eyes and immediately aimed his weapon in every direction instinctively. He heard the suction sound of the wormhole as each marine stepped through the gate behind him and then the gate quieted to a barely distinctive hum.

It was night and they were standing at the edge of a vast forest, whose eerie appearance loomed monstrously over them under the blanket of stars barely lighting the dark. No creatures sounded and John could just barely make out a large structure towards the opposite end of the thick trees that had a strange blue light emitting from it.

He motioned with his weapon for the others to follow and they began their journey through the black forest towards the mysterious structure.


	20. Chapter 20

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**Chapter 20**

The forest was a velvety blackness that eagerly swallowed them; its large branches and dead leaves blocked out the familiar glitter of stars above, though Colonel Sheppard and his team did not activate their weapon's light for fear of alerting anyone to their presence.

Creeping through stealthily, the thorned brambles and bushes scattering the forest floor tore nastily at their pant legs although they remained silent and squinted hard as they followed blindly in a staggered formation behind the Colonel.

When the clearing came further into view, John hid himself behind a tree and the others followed his gesture, all peering out with weapons perched, examining the perimeter of the landscape, which they now saw resembled a small shabby looking compound surrounded by a large gate that held several small structures and a large open area in the center.

The eerie blue light was coming from the building closest to them and Colonel Sheppard signaled for only three men to follow him while the rest should remain to give them cover. John was about to move out, when his eyes caught movement and he saw something moving directly up the center of the open area. He held up a hand to signal a complete stop.

His eyes narrowed and his heart raced in recognition of the moving creature. It looked the same as the last time he had seen it, but somehow…different, more…._human_. He now knew the utter severity of the situation and his adrenaline pounded against him and he mustered up great self-control to not rush out and slice its throat. He waited until it had entered one of the buildings and then continued with the three marines as they hurriedly crossed the clearing and scaled the gate, hopping into the dirt one after another as quietly as possible.

_Please God, let them be alive…. _

John ran to the door of the building with the blue light and signaled for one of the men to open it on the count of three. When the door swung open, John immediately crossed over the threshold, his gun extended, quickly sweeping it from left to right, his trigger finger ready to kill the first thing that moved.

_If he so much as touched her….._

An empty hallway was all that faced him with two doors on either side and one larger door at the very end. Humming fluorescent lights blinked erratically at him and he heard the slight scuffle of his companions as they entered and closed the door behind him.

John approached the door on his right and although his first instinct was to brutally kick it open, he thought it better to remain undiscovered and turned the knob as gently as possible. The door creaked slightly and John cringed but no one emerged from either side. As the door opened he saw an arm appear that he recognized instantly and then hurriedly opened the door the rest of the way.

Ronon was lying very still on the dirty floor of the small room and his extended legs were twisted so strangely, so unnaturally, that John knew at once they were both horribly broken. The room was empty besides his body and John knelt down quickly feeling for a sign of life. Reaching for his neck, he felt Ronon move slightly and relief filled John as he signaled for the marines to take Ronon back to the cover of the trees while he would remain and search for Teyla.


	21. Chapter 21

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**Chapter 21**

It took all three marines to lift Ronon's massive body and the dark haired one who had spoken earlier, had the unpleasant duty of holding the Satedans' mangled legs, which he held gingerly in his outstretched hands as he silently prayed Ronon would not wake.

Once the door had shut behind them, it was only John and the silence.

_Please, don't let me be too late…. _

He entered back into the hall and disregarded the room across from him and slowly headed down the to the room with the large doors instead. He pressed his ear to the door and heard scuffling, but nothing tangible, nothing to alert him to the horror show behind it.

Knowing time was of the essence, he again gently turned the knob of the door and wedged it open only a small slice, just enough to listen to the conversation happening inside.

"I am sorry Teyla. Sorry that our relationship was not a more pleasant one, but you and your companions have thwarted my confidence one too many times. You will suffer the price for their constant betrayal."

"Michael, please! We can find a solution to this. This is not the answer. Harming me will not aid you in the revenge you seek."

"No, but your child will become the first in the new line of my experiments."

John's breath caught and his heart flooded with the realization that she was with child, a surprise that even in this dire situation tugged at the corners of his mouth into a momentary smile, that is, until Michael continued to speak.

"As you can see from my many creations, they are…evolving…..growing…..they will be the fiercest warriors the universe has ever known and they will follow only my command. Your child will be the first in-utero experiment and………. Teyla?" He paused. "_That excites me_…."

Still standing completely still behind the door, John's face twisted and his hands clenched so hard his fingernails drew blood from his sweating palms. His fury was fully overwhelming him and his desire to end Michael's life had never been as strong as it was at this very moment, but he waited just a little longer to hear his plan and ensure there was no one else silently lurking in the room.

"Tell me though, Teyla, because the humanity in me is curious. Who is the child's father?"

Silence.

"Could it be….._Colonel Sheppard_? I always thought that his eyes were watching more than just your back….."


	22. Chapter 22

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**Chapter 22**

Still, Teyla said nothing.

"It matters not, but the consequences of mixing the bloodlines of the Wraith and the Lantean gene could prove _quite_ interesting. You needn't fear death Teyla; your body will be as a holy vessel until the child is delivered unto me. A new breed of species to raise as my own, as part of myself, to appease the desperate hunger I suffer for a loyal kinship. Do not fear death dear Teyla……at least, _not until the birth."_

John's hands were shaking as his fingertips slowly pulled back the rig on his weapon to prepare to open fire on the maniacal Wraith he should have killed many, many times before. Closing his eyes in anxiety as the setting made a small _click_ sound when he pulled it back, he took a deep breath and kicked the door open the rest of the way and stepped in, aiming directly at Michael's ghoulishly white forehead.

Michael was standing tall over Teyla with a large syringe in his clawed hand. Teyla was strapped down to a filthy looking bed, bound by her arms and legs to the four corner posts while her tanned, slightly bulging belly was completely exposed as her shirt was pulled up halfway.

While Teyla's face showed a deep mixture of surprise and elation when John burst into the room, Michael's was the opposite. He looked as if he had been expecting him and was annoyed at the mere disturbance.

John squinted one eye and was about to fire a clean shot directly through Michael's snarling face when he was grabbed hard from behind and his gun fell away awkwardly from the unexpected blow. John reached quickly for the falling gun, but two slimy dark hands grabbed him by both arms and held him steady as the gun loudly clattered to the floor.

"Colonel Sheppard. How nice of you to join us. I must say, your plan of attack was less than I had hoped for, especially coming from such a resourceful person such as yourself. I'm afraid Ronon also tried to stop my progression, causing three of my soldier's deaths before we beat him down like the wild animal he is. A valiant effort of course, but a futile one."

John heard the snarling of the creature behind him and heaved against his grip as he cursed at himself for not seeing the hidden assailant when he entered the room.

"Michael, release her now and I'll let you walk outta here, I promise. Please, just let her go…." John's voice tried to sound with a hard confidence both he and Michael knew was not there. His eyes flicked to Teyla's struggling face as she watched him restrained and tears spilled down slowly from the corners of her eyes.

"I do not think you are in any position to be negotiating, Colonel." He made a disgusted face and squirted a strange clear substance from the end of the large syringe and held it high watching its stream fall to the floor.

"All you can do now, Colonel Sheppard…….is _watch._"

And he plunged the needle down, deep into Teyla's exposed belly.


	23. Chapter 23

_Please leave a review...Hope you all liked it! Sorry it was so long!!_

**Chapter 23**

As the needle sunk deep into Teyla's flesh, her face cringed in pain and she held back the urge to scream by biting down hard on her lip. John yelled out in anger and struggled with all his might against the barbarian hands of the creature holding him.

The creature made a gnarling sound and kneed the Colonel hard in the back silencing John as he slightly wobbled in pain. Michael extracted the needle and let it fall to the floor as he placed a pale hand on Teyla's belly and patted it against her skin. "There now, child. We will be a family soon."

Teyla's eyes rolled back into her head as her face dropped sluggishly to one side as the pain overcame her.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER??!!" John shrieked wildly.

"Nothing to be afraid of Colonel," Michael said as he walked away from the now slumbering Teyla towards John and his devoted minion. "She will be fine…._for now."_

As Michael approached, John's eyes darted back and forth between him and the bulging stomach of Teyla's silent body. A renewed sense of anger and desperation filled him at the thought of losing the woman he had fought so hard not to love and the child that was created from their passionate expressions.

Michael stood only a foot from John and his warped face watched the pain dance upon Colonel Sheppard's features like a sadistic puppeteer. "I see I was correct then in believing you were the father. Your affection for her is obvious to say the least, but I cannot help but wonder, now after my test, if the child should look more like you….._or me?" _

He said the last part with such a wicked smile that John angrily spat in his face without even thinking about it. Michael let the saliva drip for a moment before carelessly wiping it away with his hand.

"Can I ask you something Michael?" John spoke softly.

Michael leaned just a bit closer and said, "Of course Colonel. Whatever you wish…"

John face was twisted in fury. "You're still part human, right?"

Michael looked confused and said nothing for a moment. "Yes Colonel, but I-"

John cut him off. "GOOD."

And he lashed out hard with his thick heavy boot and struck Michael directly between his legs.

Michael immediately gasped a shallow winded sound and doubled over giving John the momentum and distraction he needed to twist violently from the surprised creature behind him and wrap his shaking hands around its black slimy neck and snap it roughly as its yellow eyes widened briefly before it slumped down onto the hard floor.

John ran towards Teyla and began hastily undoing the straps binding her. She moaned quietly but her eyes did not flutter open. When he had finished untying them all, he picked up her slender form with both hands and held her body tightly to him, wrapping her limp arm around his neck.

Turning, he noticed Michael was gone and only the dead corpse of the creature lie on the floor by the empty doorway. Caring only about getting Teyla back to Atlantis, he hurriedly left the building and carried her body across the yard without any interruption heading back towards the clearing.

The marines were still there, tending as much medical attention as they could to Ronon's still inert body.

"Sir!" the dark haired marine spoke loudly. "A spacecraft took off just before you emerged from the building, sir! We were unable to shoot it down in time!"

John didn't care. He instructed them to carry Ronon and follow him as he made his way to the Stargate.

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Ronon's legs took months to heal but with the new found information that he and Jennifer could be together without having to live in secrecy, he didn't seem to mind sitting around the infirmary as much as he thought he would.

John sat by Teyla's bedside until she awoke three days after they returned. Her eyes fluttered open and the first sight they took in was John's smiling face.

"John?"

"Hey."

"Where are we?"

"Home."

"Michael?"

"I don't know. He got away again."

"The baby?"

"Dr. Keller said there's nothing to worry about. Everything is normal so whatever it was that Michael did, it didn't seem to work."

Teyla's face almost broke into sobs of relief but she kept speaking as she reached out and touched his stubbly face.

"I am sorry I did not tell you John. I did not want you to suffer anymore than you had to and since we could not be……"

"They made exceptions for you and Ronon. You can be with whoever you want now.'

Her smile widened and then quickly faded as she spoke.

"When I told you that I did not love you John—"

"Teyla, it doesn't matter now."

"Of course it matters. It was wrong of me to lie to you that way. And even still, even though I spoke those horrible words you came for me."

"I will always find you, Teyla."

They stared into each other's eyes and he placed his hand gently on her stomach and they rested there together, happy, come what may.

**THE END**


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